Most birthday parties are about cake and ice cream, while celebrating the passing of another year with family and friends but that was not the purpose of a Newport man.

You may know Henry Bartlett as the small senior citizen who rides his golf cart from his home near First United Methodist Church to the fast food restaurants on Cosby Highway.

His friends know him as a deeply religious and independent man who turned 80 on December 21, the winter solstice. They also know he has struggled with cerebral palsy and could be the oldest living person in the world with that disorder incurred at birth.

Friends gathered at the Sagebrush restaurant to wish him another happy birthday on Saturday, Dec. 29, thanks to Ray and Sylvia Snader, who hosted the event that afternoon.

The real purpose was "to thank everybody who has helped me in Newport," he said. He has lived here for about 22 years after retiring as a bookkeeper with Ryder Truck Rental company's headquarters in Miami, Florida.

For more details, please see the Tuesday edition of the Newport Plain Talk.